novelraw Chapter 474 - 199: The Old Man Won’t Accept Western Medicine, But He’s Always Willing to Take Chinese Medicine
Chapter 474 - 199: The Old Man Won’t Accept Western Medicine, But He’s Always Willing to Take Chinese Medicine
Lin Yongzhen obviously didn’t expect the old man to be so stubborn, treating Western medicine chemotherapy surgery as if it were a fierce tiger.
He would rather not get treatment than accept Western medicine surgical chemotherapy plans.
Is there any risk with the surgical chemotherapy plan?
On this point, as someone in Western medicine, Lin Yongzhen does have the authority to speak.
Even though he has only been in the hospital for a few years, as a master’s student from medical university, he has seen quite a few cancer patients, and he often hears his parents mention someone who has cancer and may not have much time to live.
He has heard too many things like this, and has seen quite a few in the hospital.
Chemotherapy has risks, and significant ones at that, this is beyond doubt. Even "The Lancet" has issued warnings that chemotherapy carries risks.
Speaking of chemotherapy, Lin Yongzhen encountered a patient’s family member, Old Xu, in the gastroenterology department of the Second Provincial Hospital a year ago.
Speaking of his wife, Old Xu broke down in tears. He said the most regrettable decision he made in his life was letting his wife undergo chemotherapy.
She not only suffered but also passed away after just four cycles of chemotherapy.
Before chemotherapy, she was fine, but afterward, her condition worsened, and the tumor not only didn’t shrink, but grew larger.
Regarding chemotherapy, many people believe that cancer is incurable and chemotherapy only increases suffering.
So, should you get chemotherapy after being diagnosed with cancer?
The renowned medical journal "The Lancet" once published a study that observed 23,000 breast cancer patients, and nearly 10,000 patients with non-small cell lung cancer; among those who received chemotherapy, 1,383 died, prompting a warning: "Chemotherapy is risky, use with caution."
Now, in many hospitals, many doctors aren’t tightly controlling the indications for chemotherapy. We must always remember that chemotherapy is a double-edged sword; it can kill cancer cells but also normal cells.
Chemotherapy is not 100% effective against cancer; the effective rate of chemotherapy is actually only about 30%. But if the indications aren’t controlled, and patients are given chemotherapy regardless of whether they can handle it, it not only fails to benefit but may accelerate the disease and exacerbate the patient’s suffering.
And...
First, not all cancer patients are suitable for chemotherapy.
Those who are extremely weak, in a state of cachexia, have severe infections, significantly low white blood cell or platelet counts, poor coagulation, or markedly abnormal liver and kidney functions are not suitable for chemotherapy.
Chemotherapy at this time not only can’t save lives but will accelerate the patient’s death.
Second, chemotherapy indications must be strictly controlled in late-stage cancer.
In late-stage cancer, it is undeniably the most overused stage for chemotherapy. Many doctors think it’s already late-stage, so they might as well treat it like a last-ditch effort. Some even let patients undergo chemotherapy to increase economic benefits.
This is entirely the wrong approach. To date, no method can cure late-stage cancer. Chemotherapy for patients with late-stage cancer must be cautious, cautious, and more cautious. The patient’s physical condition should be fully evaluated, and there should be ample communication with the patient and their family, strictly controlling chemotherapy indications. This is the greatest responsibility to cancer patients.
However, letting cancer go untreated because chemotherapy is very risky is also irresponsible to the patient.
Moreover, since the patient is his cousin’s own grandfather, Lin Yongzhen feels he cannot ignore it and must intervene.
With this thought, Lin Yongzhen’s expression became unusually serious and solemn: "Grandpa Lu, I know you see chemotherapy as a fierce tiger, but since there’s an issue with your body, we have to actively treat it, don’t we? You can’t just give up treatment because chemotherapy is risky, right?
Your current condition isn’t severe, maybe surgery alone could cure it, who knows."
Surgery alone could cure it?
Lu Qinian scoffed at this: "Yongzhen, it’s not that I’m speaking harshly, but now people with cancer, once they go to the hospital, are there any that only undergo surgery?
The tumor is removed, and whether it will spread or not is disregarded. Anyway, chemotherapy is arranged for you. I’m already old; I can endure surgery, but the taste of chemotherapy, even though I’ve never experienced it, from what a few deceased old friends mentioned, is worse than death; long-term chemotherapy only speeds up death.
Are they not naturally going to die anyway? Why bother to suffer such a blade? Why undergo chemotherapy to seek out pain?
At most, I’ll be a bit careful, and maybe I can live a few more years, but if I go to the hospital, people might not last a year before they’re gone, ending up losing both life and wealth."
The old man is too stubborn.
Lin Yongzhen sighed in his heart.
He was about to speak when Fangling, seeing that the old man planned to give up even before trying to treat, quickly began to persuade him: "Dad, you can’t just give up on treatment because of other people’s situations!
Yongzhen just said that your situation isn’t severe. If you really undergo active treatment, the chances of recovery are great, but if you don’t treat it, won’t you be letting the cancer cells grow unchecked?
You really should listen to us on this, listen to Yongzhen, he’s a doctor at the Second Provincial Hospital, surely he wouldn’t harm you?"
"I know you guys wouldn’t harm me, I just don’t want surgery or chemotherapy." Lu Qinian shook his head, still insistent on his plan.
Lu Ran, the younger sister-in-law, also tried to persuade: "Dad, you should listen to Sister-in-law."